you're a sunset in the rain

Faye | she/her | 23

[ad-wills]

[deepseaorchid]

An Explanation And An Update

Phew! I am back to writing, but thank you guys for being patient with me these last few weeks. I apologise for not writing during that time. Life caught up to me. I thought I would offer an explanation for sudden disappearance.

I GOT ACCEPTED TO A WORK-STUDY PROGRAM ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WORLD! Naturally, I've been very preoccupied with the bureaucracy and other such things. This is very exciting for me, as I will be moving to a different continent 10,000+ kilometers away. I'm leaving sometime in late August this year. Don't think this means I'll stop writing though! There will be more stories even when I'm abroad. I love this little community, and I love you guys!

We should be back to our regularly-scheduled programming (updates) soon. How is everyone feeling about "She's a Rainbow"? I don't want to write exclusively for Sejanus (even though I love him) and I want to try writing for different characters. Who else would you guys like to see work for?

Take care, stay safe. I'm on break from University at the moment so I'll try and write another thing this week ;)

[deepseaorchid]

She's a Rainbow - Lucy Gray Baird x Fem! Reader

Summary: Three short stories of moments where you fall deeper in love with your girlfriend, Lucy Gray. Inspired by Molly Tuttle's cover of the song "She's a Rainbow."

Pairing: (established relationship) Lucy Gray Baird x Fem! Reader

Warnings: None, Fluff

Word Count: 2.7k

A/N: I have a crush on Rachel Zegler. I wanted to try something different with this, so the formatting may be experimental.

“She comes in colours everywhere,”

“She combs her hair”

“She’s like a rainbow”

Lucy Gray Baird sat by the dock of the lake, combing her slender fingers through her wet hair absentmindedly. From the shore, you minded some of the younger Covey children, weaving some of the early Katniss blossoms into bracelets for them. As you tied the green vine around Maude Ivory’s slender wrist, you glanced up. Lucy Gray looked out over the glistening water, watching the sun cast golden reflections over the water. This low light only highlighted the colours in her hair, lighting it up different hues of brown and red mixed in with the dark.

She glanced over at you, meeting your eyes. You felt your face heat up but she only beamed at you. You smiled back at her. Maude Ivory called your name, snapping you back to attention. You looked down at her wrist. The green vines off the flower bracelet that had previously been braided had begun to come undone. You weren’t braiding them tight enough.

“Pay attention!” She giggled, shoving your shoulders gently with her free hand. You breathed a soft laugh.

“Sorry, sorry,” you smiled. You tried your best to focus on gently braiding the vines and stems of the Katniss plant together. The tall grass beside you shifts, and soft hair tickles against your shoulder. You glanced down. Lucy Gray leaned her head against your shoulder, her tan arm linked around yours. She sighed and leaned deeper into you. You rested your head against hers as you finished gently pulling the flower heads out from the inside of the bracelet, tying the vines off to finish. Maude Ivory held her hand out in front of her, admiring your work.

“You did such a good job!” She smiled before getting up and running off towards Clerk Carmine and Barb Azure. You smiled down at your now-empty hands before turning to Lucy Gray. Feeling you shift, she glanced up at you through her eyelashes. The low sun shone against the right side of her face, warming and lighting up her deep brown eyes. You tucked a loose strand of dark curly hair behind her ears.

“Have I ever told you that you have amber speckles in your eyes?” You whispered.

“Only a hundred times over, darling,” Lucy Gray smiled, leaning up and capturing your lips with hers. You smile against her sweet lips, caressing her cheek.

Lucy Gray grabbed your cheek, pinching gently. She pulled you in closer to her, peppering your soft cheek with a dozen tiny kisses, her lips pressing harder and harder against your cheek each time. You laugh hard. Lucy Gray smiles with each additional kiss. Finally letting up, she pulled away. Both of you were still giggling, trying to catch your breath. You pressed your forehead against hers.

“I love you,” you say between laughs, pecking her cheek once more.

“I love you too,” she smiled.

The glaring sun disappeared beyond the treeline as evening set upon District 12. You and Lucy Gray packed up your belongings for the day.

“We’re leaving in fifteen minutes, guys!” You called out to the younger Covey members out in the lake. A chorus of disappointed sighs called out from the water. You chuckled and busied yourself with tidying up, packing away picnic blankets and sweaters into your wicker basket you had brought with you.

“You’re a natural with them, you know?” Lucy Gray’s voice sounded out from behind you. You turned to look at her. She was covering her eyes, squinting slightly into the setting sun.

“Who? The kids?” You asked, hands still busy packing up wet clothes, blankets and toys from the day.

“Mhmm,” she sighed, walking up behind you and wrapping her arms around your stomach and burying her face in your neck. You reached down and took her slender fingers in yours, stroking your thumb over each of her knuckles.

“I could stay here forever, like this,” you whispered, voice barely audible. A gust of wind blew, and long dry grass tickled against your legs.

Lucy Gray only hummed in agreement, placing a soft kiss against the back of your neck.

Taking a deep breath in, you called out to the Covey.

“Time to go!”

Another cacophony of protests. Lucy Gray laughed hard, pulling you closer into her chest.

…

“Have you seen her dressed in blue?"

Lucy Gray twirled through the marketplace, a small bag in her hand. You trailed just behind her.

“Hurry up! There’s a reason we miss out on every good deal!” She laughed. You smiled down at your feet, dodging muddy puddles in the dirt road winding between stalls. Lucy Gray waltzed around the different stalls, the white skirt she wore spun elegantly. She reached her arms up to the sky, her bright blue blouse lifted up ever so slightly, exposing the skin on her stomach. Her blouse was almost the same colour as the sky after the rainfall - no, more beautiful. The deep cerulean colour complimented her features perfectly, lighting her eyes up as she smiled. 

She stopped in front of a stall with a burgundy awning, admiring the wares. This gave you just enough time to catch up. You squeeze past an elderly couple on the busy street and join her side. 

Lucy Gray held something in her hand, you couldn’t tell what it was. You watched her hand over a few coins to the shopkeeper - a wiry man holding a small child on his hip. You smiled at the both of them as Lucy Gray linked her fingers through yours, squeezing your hand.

“What did you buy?” You asked her, rubbing your nose against her cheek. She giggled, looking down.

“You’ll see,” she smiled mischievously. You rolled your eyes playfully.

“Please?” You ask, trying your best to give her puppy-dog pleading eyes. Lucy Gray’s cheeks blushed a gentle pink and she stuck out her bottom lip.

“Later? Promise it’ll be worth it,” she said. You sigh and nod your head, smiling before pecking her lips.

“See the sky in front of you”

The rain from earlier in the day had tapered off. Occasionally, a large droplet would fall on your head, or a gentle sprinkle would rain down on you. By now, the clouds were high and fluffy, as the day went on, the sky began to match the blue of your girlfriend’s blouse. Mud caked your shoes as you walked across the winding market roads. Lucy Gray’s fingers tickled your palm as she walked beside you.

“Want to stop for a bit?” She asked, turning to face you. You smiled sweetly at her.

“I think there’s a bench by that stall just ahead.” You said softly. 

Leading the way, you wind an arm around her waist and walk with her to a small wooden bench. Little puddles of rainwater lingered on the old wood. You pulled a blanket out from your small bag and placed it over the seat before sitting down.

Lucy Gray assumed her position next to you, tucking her shoulder into your side and resting her head against yours. You turn slowly and press a light kiss against her forehead. She sighed, content.

Around you, shoppers rushed around, desperate to snatch up deals in the dirty, open-air market. A flock of starlings flew above, chittering and dodging around lamp posts and buildings. The air around you was cool and damp, contrasting heavily to your loving girlfriend next to you. Her warm hand reached up and touched your face. Her fingers traced around your cheekbones, gently down to your jaw, before tracing the outline of your lips with her finger nail. Your eyes flicked down to her red lips, tilting your head slightly before capturing them in yours. She kissed you back almost instantly, wrapping her slender hand around the back of your neck. She pulled you into her lips deeper and you hum softly, eliciting a giggle from her.

“What?” You smile, pecking her lips one, two, three more times.

“Nothing,” she giggled back. Your hand trailed down to her side, poking her stomach gently. She shrieked and laughed and the sensation.

“Does that tickle?” You smirk. Reaching forward, you attack her with your fingers again. She squirms in your embrace as she tries to get away from you. “I’m not going to stop until you tell me what’s on your mind,” you smile against her skin, your lips ghosting across her neck. Lucy Gray reaches a shaky hand up and touches your shoulder. You lean back, lowering your hands. In between fits of laughter, she gasps out.

“Okay, okay, I’ll tell you.” You smile at your little victory.

Lucy Gray reaches into the pocket of her skirt and pulls out a small object wrapped in white cloth. She places it in the palm of your hand, biting her lip nervously. She looked so beautiful.

“Open it!” She says, adjusting herself to get a better view of the item in the cloth and your pretty face.

Your fingers delicately unwrap the thin fabric. Inside was a glistening indigo hairpin. You turned it over in your hand, holding it closer to your face. The winding metal depicted a little sparkling swan. 

You reached your arms forward and lunged at Lucy Gray, squeezing her thin frame tightly. 

“Thank you,” you muttered against her skin, burying your head into her neck. You felt her fingernail trace shapes up and down your spine.

“You’re welcome,” she said softly, kissing your hair and forehead.

“I love you.”

“Have you seen a lady fairer?”

…

“Have you seen her all in gold?”

Lucy Gray twirled around the stage, the metal accents of her blouse jangled to the melody her and the Covey members played. You smiled from off stage, hands clasped together as you cheered her performance on silently. 

You spent the last few weeks meticulously sewing together. Her outfit was regal, as close to royalty as District 12 could get. Her pale purple skirt flew out from underneath her as she twirled. You had dyed it with a bowl of crushed blackberries you had spent what little earnings you had on. The completion of the skirt had been marked with celebration in the Covey, your sweet girlfriend baking a blackberry tart just for you out of the remnants of the crushed juice and fruit.

Lucy Gray jumped around as she strummed her guitar, the little gold beads on tassels around the blouse neckline clinked together, adding an extra layer to the percussion of the song. They weren’t real gold, of course. You made them from flattened and rolled bronze, painting each one of them a pale yellow to give it the desired expensive appearance. It was only noticeable how tacky they looked up close. The audience would be none the wiser. Despite your struggles with finishing the blouse, Lucy Gray swore up and down just how much she loved it, trying it for you first, easing your worries and doubts.

“Like a queen in days of old”

Lucy Gray’s voice carried through the air of the Hob as peacekeepers and miners alike danced in front of the stage, spinning and tapping their feet against the hard floor. You watched her from the backstage area. Performing came naturally to her, her magnetic nature drawing others deeper and deeper into her song. She had a natural way of drawing others into her music and her. Her charm impacts you most of all. The upbeat melody of her guitar had a small smile drawing at the corners of your lips. You felt your head nodding along to her voice and the music.

Lucy Gray turned her head to look at you backstage. It was only momentarily, but it was enough to send a bolt of electricity through you, shocking you back to your senses. Your gaze softened as your eyes met her kind gaze. From this angle, the stage lights illuminated the left side of her face perfectly. The silver lighting cast a ring over her hair and face, like a halo or a tiara. She always looked regal, but tonight, she looked like the embodiment of grace. Your heart skipped, like it always does, when she looked at you. With only a glance, she signified to you that this would be the last song of the evening. You nodded, turning on your heels and disappearing behind the curtain to head to her dressing room.

“She shoots colours all around”

The red door to the dressing rooms clicked behind you. In the dim light of the backstage dressing room, you were tidying some Lucy Gray’s makeup away for her. Stacking containers and vials on top of one another in her little wooden makeup case. Preoccupied with making sure you had packed all of your love’s makeup essentials, you failed to hear the door open behind you again. Your breath hitched as you felt a pair of slender, warm hands snake around your hips.

“Did you like my song?” Lucy Gray’s sweet voice rang out from behind you. You turned around, smiling wide and holding her hands in place over top of your waist.

“I loved it,” you whispered to her, your eyes flicking down to her bright red lips. She said nothing, only tilting her head slightly, briefly capturing your lips.

“I wrote it for you, you know? That song,” she giggled. Your breath hitched.

“Really?” Your eyebrows raised in surprise. You hadn’t even paid attention to the lyrics, too focused on your girlfriend’s captivating aura. Her captivating aura naturally drew others in whenever she assumed her place in the spotlight. That included you, who clearly should have been paying more attention. 

She only nodded in response. “You do so much for me, for the whole Covey, but me especially. I didn’t know how else to thank you for this.” she said softly, gesturing down at the ‘gold’ embellishments of her blouse. Her soft doe eyes met yours, and within an instant your lips were against her lips, kissing her hard. You kissed her as though she was made of honey, pulling her bottom lip over and over again hungrily. Pulling away, you dip your head to the crook of her neck and push her against the dressing table. The mirror rattled slightly at the force of two people’s weight against it. You linked your right hand in hers, your other hand placed on her waist. Lucy Gray wrapped her free arm around your shoulders, pulling you in impossibly close to her. You felt her heart hammering against her chest, pressed against yours. 

“You’re the brightest star in the sky, Lucy Gray,” you whispered against her skin, squeezing her hand tighter.

“I shine just for you, darling,” she smiled.

“Like a sunset going down”

Leaving the Hob, you trekked through mud, arm in arm with Lucy Gray and the rest of the covey trailing behind. The evening rain splashed against your skin, wetting your eyelashes. Lucy Gray’s makeup was beginning to smudge. 

“You look like a racoon,” you laugh, holding her head in your hands and swiping your thumb against her lower eyelids. She looked down, catching a glimpse of her reflection in a puddle. She instantly burst out cackling, a sound akin to bells chiming, grabbing you tighter as she laughed at her appearance.

The remainder of the earlier sunset were barely visible in the sky. Now, District 12 was bathed in a lavender light. The laughter of the Covey echoed through red brick allies, making nearby Peacekeepers turn their heads as you marched through mud, soaked to the skin. Clerk Carmine ran ahead, springing up and leaping into a puddle, showering your already wet selves. As the water flew, it captured the light from nearby streetlights and the lavender sunset. For only a brief moment, time slowed down and you saw a million rainbows reflected in the water droplets. A rainbow only reflected in Lucy Gray’s eyes as she turned to you, beaming a wide smile that lit up her eyes. A smile so radiant it put the sun to shame. A smile she reserved only for you.

[deepseaorchid]

Stay With Me - Sejanus Plinth x GN!Reader

Summary: An eventless walk to your mentorship duties at the arena ends in catastrophe. When the rebel bombs in the arena severely injure you, you find your legs trapped under rubble. Fortunately, your sweet friend Sejanus Plinth arrives to help you and carry you to safety. Emotions are high between you and Sejanus, resulting in a teary-eyed confession from him that provides you with an answer to a mystery that has occupied your thoughts for months.

Pairing: Sejanus Plinth x Gender-neutral! Reader

Warnings: Romance / Comfort / Fluff / Angst / Hurt / Blood / Brief graphic violence / Canon deaths / Slight canon deviation for plot purposes / Injury / Angst with a happy ending

Word Count: 4.9k

A/N: This was a request from @flutteringphalanges

Thank you so much for requesting! I had a lot of fun with this. I really hope you like reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it!

The pink morning sun shone through the curtains of your bedroom window. You woke up before your alarm, not that you managed to sleep much last night anyway. The events of this week plagued your thoughts too much to sleep easy. On the day prior to the Hunger Games, the mentors were required to show their tributes around the arena, where all but one will die. A lump formed in your throat. You were mentoring the District 6 tribute, Ginnee. She wasn’t a fighter, none of them were. They were children. 

Ginnee was a nice girl, and you like to think that if the circumstances were different, maybe you could have had a chance at being her friend. You had almost no hope she would survive the games, which made seeing her difficult. What do you say to someone who you know will likely not live to the end of the week?

You pull back the feathery covers of your bed and put your feet on the cold floor, stretching your back. You lean to the side, pulling open the crystal knob on the ornate bedside table. Your cold feet tap on the floor as you reach into the draw. Within the small table held a collection of love notes with smudged, blocky handwriting. You pick one up, turning it over in your hands. You’d read each letter a thousand times over now. They were sappy and saccharine sweet. They spoke of kissing cherry lips so gentle and a burning desire to hold you forever. It was silly and poetic but it kept you going on hard days like this. It showed you someone was looking after you, even though they wouldn’t say who they were. The only indication of the sender was a squiggle at the bottom of each note.

You stand up, putting all the letters away but one and moving towards the large wooden armoire. You open the door, pulling out the same scarlet uniform you wore every day. You grimace at the colour. You used to like it, but now the colour reminded you of blood. Blood you would inevitably see tomorrow. You tuck the love letter inside the breast pocket of the uniform.

The radio in the living room crackles softly, and a gentle tune begins playing, drifting down the hall. Your father was awake. You dress quickly and fix your hair, finishing getting ready for the day. Walking down the hall, you spot your father in the dimly-lit kitchen cooking breakfast. Following the war, you had to lay off your poor cook, unable to afford him anymore. Your father took up cooking and while his dishes were experimental at best, you appreciated the effort. 

“Hey Bud!” Your father chirps, he looks up only momentarily from the cast iron skillet. You smiled at the nickname he had used for you since childhood. You walk up to him, glancing over his shoulder to see what he’s making. Eggs again. The yellow, runny mess dances around the pan as your father stirs lazily.

“Want some?” He asks, holding the pan up to your nose. You do your best not to grimace. 

“No thanks, I’m walking to school with Sejanus,” you sigh. Your father seems displeased with that answer, his silver eyebrows furrowing slightly. 

“Is that the Plinth boy upstairs?” He asks. You roll your eyes. No matter how often you brought Sejanus over to study or just to hang out, your father seemed to forget who he was. You couldn’t decide if he was messing with you, or if he simply did not care enough about Sejanus to learn his name.

You mumble an agreement. Your father shrugs his shoulders.

“Have fun, I suppose. You really should eat something. I made these with you in mind,” he says, pointing to the yellow slop in the pan. 

“I can tell.” You chuckle quietly. Your father feigned a look of shock. “I am trying!” He gasps, he clearly had much more energy than you had this morning. You probably might have eaten the eggs if it were not for the knot forming in your stomach over your task as mentors today. It was a solemn event, and for some reason, it felt inappropriate to be eating breakfast when your tribute would likely have nothing today. 

You glance at the grandfather clock pushed against the wall. 6:50am. It was probably time to head out soon. You quietly excuse yourself, saying goodbye to your father on your way out of the heavy black front door. You walk down the hallway of the apartment building. Once grand and elegant, the pinnacle of Capitol sophistication, the building now stood in a state of disrepair. Hallway lights flickered and blinked, and a suspicious mould had begun forming around parts of the ceiling. You push the white button for the elevator. After releasing it, the button pops off and clatters to the floor. You sigh, leaning your head against the elevator wall. You hate it here.

The rickety elevator pinged, announcing its arrival. The golden gates open with a metallic rattle.

“One of those mornings, huh?” Your friend’s voice rang out. Sejanus stands with his back to the far wall, a smirk on his face that did not reach his eyes. You step in beside him. You knew that the Hunger Games were tough on him. You had no clue how he was managing even a half-smile for you at this time.

What started as simply work partners for a project in an earlier year had evolved into a quiet friendship between yourself and the District boy. You would occasionally meet in the lobby of your apartment building to go on runs through the Capitol. You were each other’s first choice for everything. School projects, lunches, a shoulder to cry on, you both had an unspoken and quiet trust in one another. It was not a particularly showy friendship, but he was your friend nonetheless. A friend who made your heart beat just a little faster.

“You know it,” you sigh in response. You reach out and rub his arm as a comforting gesture. The elevator lurches forward as it begins its descent to the ground floor. 

You study his face. Sejanus’s jaw is locked in place, eyes hard and skimming the passing floors in front of you. He was vocal about his dislike for the Hunger Games, and you understood where he was coming from. Had the hands of fate played differently, it could have been him at the reaping every year. 

He swallows hard. “How’s Ginnee?” He asks, turning his head to you. 

“She’s about as well as you can imagine,” you say, averting your gaze. The guilt you felt over the situation hung thick over you like a cloud.

“Figures,” Sejanus mutters before the elevator pinged again, stopping at the ground floor. You step out of the elevator first, striding across the marble floors over to the large glass doors of the apartment lobby. The bellhop hadn’t made it through the war. Sejanus took his job over for a moment, rushing ahead of you to hold the door. You muster a small smile for him in return. 

The walks to the Academy were usually calm. The morning traffic would just be getting going. Shops with faded displays would open their doors to customers - not that there were many anymore, and you and Sejanus would go over the material for the day’s classes. 

This was not the usual chatty, happy morning you had grown accustomed to. Both of you had no real desire to talk, opting to walk shoulder-to-shoulder instead. Your steps fall in sync and your breath hitches in your throat, terrified of what was to come with your tributes. Maybe it was just the city smog, but your breathing became shallow and you find yourself gasping against the wind.

Sejanus picks up on this and wordlessly wraps an arm around your shoulder. He pulls you into his chest, squeezing tight. You glance down at his large hand on your shoulder.

“It’ll be fine,” he mutters against your hair. His words feel forced, things wouldn’t be fine. Nothing about this was alright. But it was all he could manage at this time. You close your eyes and try to just focus on your breathing and Sejanus’s arms around your shoulders.. Things would get better one day. ‘It’s like ripping a bandage off,’ you think to yourself.

‘Once it’s done, it’s done.’

…

“Enjoy the show!” The turnstile chimes. A lump forms in your throat. Ginnee’s lip trembles, tears welling in her eyes. 

“Enjoy the show!” In front of you, Sejanus turns around, meeting your gaze. He offers you a tight-lipped smile. You couldn’t bring yourself to smile back. You swallow hard.

“Enjoy the show!” You and your tribute walk through the gate. The grating voice continues to chime as you enter the arena. You look up, glancing around. The dome covering the arena hangs above you, letting in a small amount of natural light. You examine the pedestals where the tributes would stand before the games started. The walls were entirely smooth, impossible for a person to climb. You begin to sweat. Your main strategy was to tell Ginnee to hide during the initial bloodbath, and then pick off the stragglers. You hoped this would be enough to bring her to victory, but your heart sinks seeing that there isn’t even a place to hide.

You glance back over your shoulder towards Sejanus. Marcus is walking as far away from him as possible, Sejanus trailing after him, trying to get his attention. You turn back to Ginnee, who is observing the walls, craning her neck for a better angle. You call her name to get her attention.

“Ginnee, c’mere for a second,” you say, trying to formulate a new plan with her. She takes a few steps forward. Within an instant, the wall behind her explodes and a devastating BANG fills your ears. You’re knocked over from the force of the impact, flying several feet before sliding and rolling. The only thing you hear is ringing. You cover your ears, locking your arms in front of your eyes. The ringing doesn’t stop as more dirt and smoke kick up. Your head spins. Where’s Ginnee? Where’s Sejanus? You scream, hoping someone, anyone will hear you. The ringing begins to subside. You glance around. Your dull screams mix in with that of others. Someone near you is crying. Ginnee? You reach out, trying to find someone amidst the smoke. There’s blood on your hand. Who’s blood? Yours? You try pulling yourself forward on your stomach. Pain shoots through your body and you almost pass out. You cry out in agony and turn around. A huge slab of concrete from the wall had fallen on top of your legs, crushing them.

You reach down and try to get purchase of the slab with your fingertips. The mixture of sweat and blood on your hands makes it impossible to grab. Your hands kept slipping, slicing your palms and fingers deeper. 

Another explosion went off at the far end of the arena. You see a figure - a boy, fly back. His body slams against a pile of debris with a sickening crunch, and he lays limp on the floor like a ragdoll. 

You scream in horror, trying harder to lift the rubble off your legs. You alternate between lifting with the palms of your hands, and trying to grip with your fingers. Nothing worked. You yell in frustration, your palms sliding off the rubble and tears completely blurring your vision. You should have had your father’s disgusting, runny eggs this morning. You should have reread the love note. There was so much you should have done differently.

“Help me!” You scream as loud as your lungs will let you, the sound reverberating in your brain.

You keep pushing, changing tactics to slide out underneath it. 

A rough hand wraps around yours pushing up with you. Your head snaps up. Covered in ash, dust and blood is Sejanus. He bites his lip in concentration and strain, a deep frown etched on his face as he pushes. Gradually, the concrete begins to lift. 

“I need you to run,” Sejanus yells over the sound of gunfire. The Peacekeepers had entered the arena, opening fire at tributes attempting to escape.

“I can’t!” You sob, grabbing your legs and trying to move them out. Sejanus bites his lip again, drawing blood. He looks up.

“I’m going to let go on the count of three,” Sejanus gasps.

“What? No! Please don’t leave me!” You beg. Sejanus lifts higher.

“One, two,” he starts. Another explosion. You cover your ears and brace for impact.

“Three!” He yells. Before you have time to react, Sejanus shoots behind you and hooks his hands under your armpits. Your body slides back as he practically throws you out of harm’s way. 

Sejanus had lifted the slab of rubble you were trapped under upright, helping you escape. It wobbles back and forth, shedding grey rocks as it tilts. Gravity quickly causes it to lean forward again, slamming back down onto where you just were. The impact kicks up a cloud of dust around you. Grit and dirt enter your eyes and you cough hard. Two large hands reach around your body. Sejanus wraps one hand around your shoulders, pulling you close to his chest, and reaches the other under your legs. You scream at his touch, white-hot pain shooting through you.

“I know, I know,” Sejanus says, voice shaking. “But we’ll get you to a hospital, alright?” He gasps. Your head lolls back, fading in and out of consciousness from the pain. Sejanus hoists you higher in his arms, tilting your head onto his shoulder. 

“Hey, hey, stay with me here,” he pats your arm hard, leaning into you as he stands. He touches his cheek to your forehead.

“Please,” he chokes out. Your eyes roll around in your head trying to focus on your surroundings.

“Is it bad?” You moan against his skin, gritting your teeth. “My leg?” You cough. You feel Sejanus tilt his head to look.

“No. It’s fine, you’re fine.” He breathes. You feel yourself getting jostled. The agony that courses through you from the sudden movement is unlike anything you felt before. You can’t even scream, your vision immediately fades to black.

…

The linen surrounding you smells stale. Hushed whispers bounce around you. You crack your eyes open. You need a moment to let your eyes adjust. As shapes came into focus, you see a row of neatly-made beds to your left lined up one by one. There is an arched doorway, with people dressed in white clothes and strange hats scurrying to and fro. 

To your right, a pale blue partition. A pair of boots sticks out from the side, resting on the bed. Who was that? You look down. Your feet are encased in thick white bandages. You try to wiggle your toes. Nothing. Your eyes trail up to the figure perched at the side of your bed. Sejanus held a ceramic bowl filled with clean water. In his hands, a wet rag dabbing carefully at some wounds on your fingertips.

“Hey,” you croak out. His head snaps towards you.

“Oh my god you’re awake,” He cries out. His eyes were red and puffy, like he’d been crying for hours. You try to reach up to him, but he catches your hand in his, clasping it firmly.

“How long was I out?” You ask, rubbing your eyes with your free hand. “About 12 hours,” he whispers, voice shaking. You study his face. Dirt and grime are still smeared across his face, whereas the exposed parts of your skin are clean, small bandages covering all your cuts. His injuries remain untreated. Had he been caring for you all this time?

“You’re hurt,” you say flatly.

“M’fine,” Sejanus smiles, eyes welling up. “I was looking after you,” He forces a laugh, looking away. You hold your breath. He stares fixed at the peeling wall in front of you, shoulders and head turned to you. You reach a shaky bandaged hand out and rest your fingertips atop his. His head snaps back, looking down at your hands together. A tear falls onto the back of your hand, splashing your knuckles. That’s why he turned away from you. You pull your hand out from under his and try lifting it up to wipe his tears. He catches your hand midair, gently pushing it aside.

“I should be the one comforting you,” he chokes out. Your eyebrows furrow. Classic Sejanus, always putting you before himself, even when he shouldn’t. You squeeze his hand hard. He bites his lip and looks down, inhaling sharply.

“Marcus escaped.”

“What?” You try to sit up. Sejanus places a hand on your shoulder, gently easing you back into the pillow of the hospital bed.

“He has a better chance out there in the Capitol than he does in the arena.” There is a twinge of anger behind his words. 

“They’re still holding the Games?” You raise your voice, shocked. Sejanus only nods. Your stomach knots with anxiety. There was a pregnant pause.

“And Ginnee?” You ask after a moment. Sejanus hesitates.

“There was a parade,” he speaks slowly. “And they brought out the dead tributes on the backs of horses…” You gasp at the implication, covering your mouth with your hand. “What was left of them, at least,” He finishes. You feel sick. You must have looked sick too, because Sejanus calls a nurse for a bucket. 

“I’m fine, I’ll be okay,” You say, holding your hand up to the nurse. She struts off out of sight again. You pull your forearm back for support as you try maneuvering yourself upright. This time, Sejanus didn’t stop you, moving his hand behind your back and holding your outstretched hand to pull you up. He doesn’t remove his hand from your back after sitting up, opting to rub gentle circles into the small of your back. You lean your head onto his shoulder, letting your eyes glaze over. All that for nothing. It was better her death was quick than drawn out in the Games. She didn’t suffer.

You point a shaky finger at your legs wrapped up in two neat white casts. Your toes poke out from underneath the bandages.

“Still got them, huh?” You exhale softly as a sort of half-laugh. Sejanus lets out a low chuckle.

“Yeah. They’re pretty broken though. You’ll be in a wheelchair for a while.” He glances down at you. You lift your head off his shoulder, gazing up at him. His eyes flick towards your legs, not meeting your gaze.

“Actually, in the arena…” he hesitates. “In the arena, you asked if your legs were alright when I got you out of the rubble.” You nod your head slowly at his words, recalling that moment before you lost consciousness.

“And I lied. They looked really bad. I didn’t want to scare you, so I lied and said you were fine. I could see the bone though,” his voice is little more than a whisper, lip quivering slightly. You grimace at the gruesome mental image. You feel Sejanus’s shoulders shake, and just like that he’s crying again. You wrap your arms around his shoulders, running your fingers through his soft brown hair. You feel his body tense up momentarily, before relaxing into your touch. You don’t know what to say, so you choose silence. He sobs quietly into your neck, tears wetting the collar of your hospital gown. You just keep ghosting your nails over his scalp to calm him.

“I thought you were dead,” he chokes out against your neck. “I thought you died in my arms.”

You squeeze him tighter at this admission. 

“I’m not going anywhere,” You whisper in his ear. He squeezes you back, not as hard as you did. It was as though he was afraid of breaking you even more.

Sejanus pulls back from your embrace, wiping his tears off his cheeks with his hands. His gentle brown eyes are bloodshot.

“I’m sorry,” he sniffles. He stares down at his knee for a moment. You tilt your head, trying to get a better look at his face. You have never seen him like this before.

Before you can ask him what was on his mind, he reaches over behind you to the stand beside the hospital bed. You hear metal clinking and something shuffling, before he sits in front of you again. 

“Here’s some of your stuff,” He says in a hushed voice, placing the items softly in your hand. He runs his large hand through his curls.

“I thought maybe you’d want it back. When the doctor gave back your uniform, I took the stuff out of your pockets. I didn’t mean to snoop, I’m-”

“Thank you.” You gaze into Sejanus’s eyes, interrupting him. He glances down, shying away from your words. You comb over the items in the palm of your hand. Your small gold watch’s face is cracked, but the seconds hand still ticks. You could get that fixed. 

There’s the small teddy bear keychain - the one Sejanus bought for you on the way back from a study session.

 “It reminds me of you,” he had smiled at you on that warm, sunny day. You kept it in your pocket ever since that day. Now, it is missing an ear, covered in dirt. Your eyes well up with tears.

You pick up another item. The matching friendship bracelet you made with Lysistrata Vickers when you were 12 years old is broken. The pink thread holding it together had snapped in two parts and some of the beads were missing. “B-st Frien—” it reads now. Had you been standing any closer to Ginnee, you would have met the same fate as her, scattered across that arena in several pieces. 

You’re crying now, you wipe your cheeks frantically, trying not to show it. You catch Sejanus staring at the wall across from you, pretending not to notice your tears. You silently thank him for allowing you to have a moment to gather yourself.

The last item is a tattered piece of lined paper. You unfold it with shaking hands. It’s smeared with your blood, and is torn in different parts. Some of the words are missing, but the messy, blocky scrawl instantly brings a wave of peace over you. You read what you can, holding the paper together in some parts.

You smiled at me today,

My head spins as if I’m drunk when you look my way

Your sweet lips - the word is smudged with blood, you can’t make it out.

I dream of kissing your soft cheeks

I know you don’t think of me that way

But I can’t help but wonder what your hand feels - the paper is torn

For now, I’ll hold my own hand and pretend it's you,

And my broken heart will - the mangled paper cut off the rest of the words. 

There were supposed to be an additional four lines to the note, you remember that much. The bottom of the paper is mangled and tattered, the words lost in the explosion. The contents of the love letter were terrible, truthfully. Barely even poetry. But someone loved you, someone thought about you enough to write consistently, and they tried. That was good enough for you. You close your eyes, allowing yourself to cry as you kiss the paper lightly.

“I don’t even remember what it said,” you laugh through tears. Sejanus’s head turns towards you.

“Can I see?” He asks. You hesitate for a moment. You never told him about the letters you’d been receiving. You figure it couldn’t hurt to show him. Gingerly, you hand the letter over with shaking hands. Sejanus skims the contents.

“And my broken heart will always love you. I’d follow you to the ends of the earth if you let me. We could build a house by the sea together. You have my whole heart, and I hope one day I’ll have yours.” He finishes, receiting from memory and choking slightly. The memory of the letter comes crashing over you.

“How did you-” You stop mid-sentence. Oh. 

Sejanus stares wordlessly at you, lip quivering. A tear rolled down his cheek before he buries his head in his hands and sobs. You quickly lean forward and wrap your hand around his strong arm, stroking it gently.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry,” Sejanus repeats over and over through tears. You reach up and pull his hands from his face. His tears had mixed with the dirt still caked on his cheeks.

“Why are you sorry?” You ask gently, trying to meet his eyes. He averts his gaze.

“M’sorry you found out this way,” he hiccups. “I didn’t want you to know until I was ready. It was supposed to be special. I was going to bring you flowers,” he says, wiping his red eyes. 

You feel your stomach drop a little. You barely even had time to process the fact that you now knew who wrote the dozen letters stacked in your bedside table at home. And finding out it was your sweet friend? You’re torn between feeling elated and heartbroken for him. 

Not wanting him to take your silence as rejection, you lift up a bandaged and bruised hand and touch his chin, gently turning his head towards you. The low light from the hospital wing casts a shadow over the right side of his face. He looks incredible. Your heart hammers in your chest. You study his face for a second, an unreadable expression across his soft features. Quickly, you lean forward on the bed and kiss his soft cheek. You press your lips against his soft skin long and hard, trying to put months-worth of unspoken feelings into one kiss.

You pull back. His mouth hangs slightly agape and his bloodshot eyes glaze over.

“I read those letters every night before bed,” you whisper. “I always carry one with me. Now you know what my lips feel like against your cheek,” you giggle softly, referencing the letter. His big dark eyes twinkle a little and he laughs. 

Your eyes flick down towards his lips for a moment. Sejanus swallows hard.

“Can I kiss you properly?” Sejanus asks quietly, his voice barely audible. You hum a response in agreement. He tilts his head slightly and leans forward. The casts wrapped around your legs prevent you from moving any further, but he meets you all the way. His lips ghost yours gingerly, before meeting fully. Just like that, the pain in your legs and the hospital scene melts away entirely, and all you can focus on is Sejanus. His lips are slightly chapped, scratching yours lightly. He kisses you hungrily, wrapping an arm firmly around your waist and pulling you in closer.

 Your hand trails up his chest and finds a home in the crook of his neck, stroking lightly. He tilts his head, meshing his lips with yours. His tongue swipes across your bottom lip. You gasp, your open mouth allowing him entry. He deepens the kiss, reaching a hand up to stroke your face. You squeeze the back of his neck gently, continuously running your fingers through his hair. Your lips are numb as he kisses you hungrily. He exhales, pulling back from you slowly. 

You touch your nose against his, rubbing softly. 

“So, does this mean you like me back?” Sejanus breathes. You giggle against his mouth, pulling him in by the shirt collar.

“Yes Sejanus, I thought it was obvious.” You smile. He pecks your lips, letting out a low hum. He presses his lips against yours harder and harder with every additional kiss.

The click of heels against marble floors interrupts you both. You hesitantly pull back from Sejanus and crane your neck. Peering over his shoulder, you watch your father stride through the tall arches of the hospital, trailing behind a nurse. He pauses upon seeing you.

“You’re awake!” He calls with outstretched arms. “I’m not interrupting anything, am I?” His tone is playful.

You laugh, shaking your head and embrace your father as he walks up to you. Sejanus shuffles out of the way. Your father hugs you tightly, squeezing your shoulders. He pulls back, turning to Sejanus.

“And you must be Sejanus, my future son-in-law! Thank you for helping,” your father beamed. His tone was still as teasing as ever, but laced with sincerity. Both you and Sejanus blush a deep red at his words. Sejanus looks down at his hands, wearing a grin that meets his ears.

“I just did what I could,” he says quietly.

“Nonsense, my boy! We must have you over for dinner soon. I’ll be in debt to you for as long as I live,” your father’s voice shakes slightly. Sejanus smiles softly, saying nothing, only nodding.

Sejanus and your father help you gather your belongings, easing you into a wheelchair and leading you out of the hospital to a waiting car. Sejanus helps maneuver your legs into the black vehicle safely and sits beside you on the red leather seats. Little star-like lights twinkled above on the ceiling, and your father enters the front to sit by the driver. The car slowly pulls out of the hospital parking lot, driving past high-rise buildings and sparkling city lights in the night. Sejanus’s warm hand wraps around yours. He leans his head closer to you, his dark brown curls tickling your skin.

“I’m happy you’re here with me,” he whispers.

[deepseaorchid]

Words cannot begin to describe how happy I am seeing everyone’s comments and hearing how you liked Kiss Me Better. I teared up at some of the responses, thank you for loving my work.

I’m working on a request at the moment for Sejanus that is halfway done! Expect that coming soon. Tomorrow or a little later this week, I think. There’s a bit of a delay as I’m a one-woman operation here, and I’m a full time University student. Thank you so much for loving my work guys!

[deepseaorchid]

Kiss Me Better - Sejanus Plinth x GN!Reader

Summary: When a certain sweet little boy offers to share his candy with you on the school yard, you find yourself with a lifelong best friend. What happens when these feelings of friendship melt into deeper feelings as you both grow older? An unfortunate event causes these two best friends to get closer than ever before, making your heart flutter.

Pairing: (Childhood bestfriends! To Lovers!)Sejanus Plinth x GN!reader, (platonic!)Clemensia Dovecote x GN!reader

Warnings: None, fluff, mutual pining, childhood friends to lovers

Word count: 5.2k

A/N: Clemensia may be OOC, I modelled Reader's interactions with her after myself and my own best friend

Accepting that you had fallen in love with sweet Sejanus Plinth, your childhood best friend was not easy. From the time you both met, Sejanus had been a constant and welcome presence in your life. One of you two always trailing after the other, hot on each other’s heels. The pair of you could often be found pouring over books in the library, comparing what you had read versus what you had not. Or, you could be found at a small cafe on the Corsus, sharing a sweet pastry or sipping tea and studying.

With the frequency of your hangouts, and the fact that you had few other friends, it was impossible for the other Academy students not to notice and gossip. You had grown accustomed to hushed whispers and jeers directed at the both of you. After all, what business does someone from the Capitol have with a District transplant who makes a display of his disdain of the very place he lives? You found that befriending Sejanus Plinth has been a lonely experience, isolating you from many, but not all of your peers. However, it only made the bond you two had stronger.

A hand slapped your shoulder, and a shrill voice called out “Tag! You’re it!” From behind you. Clemensia Dovecote sped off, her jet black hair flying out from behind her. You watched her climb up the iron monkey bars and perch at the top, flashing you a crooked smile. She had just lost her two front teeth, leaving a large gap in her smile. To you, she was the coolest girl in school. 

“You have to chase us now!” She yelled at you from her spot on the monkey bars. You hadn’t even been in this game of tag, but you took this as an invitation. Not wanting to disappoint her, you took off, running full tilt to the group of children. You picked the easiest target, Felix Ravinstill, and chased after him. You weaved in and around the play structure, dodging large beams and the occasional rogue ball. While Felix didn’t have speed on his side, he had fast reflexes and was quick at evading your every attempt at catching him.

Felix leapt onto the pavement, running straight through a game of foursquare. You dodged the wonky chalk barrier marking the borders of the pitch as the players yelled at Felix for ruining the game. Felix rounded a hard corner. You sped up, the collar of his shirt almost within reach.

“Get him!” Clemensia cheered. Your head snapped in her direction, she was beginning to climb down from the monkey bars. The momentary loss of focus resulted in your shoe colliding and hooking under a rock on the yard. You sprawl forward. You had just enough time to put your hands out and prevent your fall before you hit the pavement hard. You yelped out in pain, your knees and hands hot from the impact. You barely registered that you’re crying until Clemensia runs up to you, teacher in tow. A crowd had begun forming around you, and you found yourself crying thick, hot tears. The teacher helped you up, offering kind words of encouragement as students gathered asking if you’re okay. The tears that started didn’t seem to stop, and you sobbed a little harder looking at the state of your bloodied knees.

 And so the game of tag abruptly ended. Nobody on the schoolyard blamed you, of course, but you found yourself sitting out for the rest of recess. You sat cross-legged on the hot pavement holding a large wad of gauze to your bleeding knee and sniffling occasionally. You stared off at the play structure, watching the others go down the slides and run around. You don’t think anyone thought too much of it, but the embarrassment you still had over the situation hung thick around you.

A shadow above you blocked out the beating sun, and two little legs obscured your view of the play structure. You looked up, squinting a little.

“Hi,” said an unfamiliar voice. Your eyes focused on the shape in front of you. Sejanus Plinth, the new boy who just arrived from District 2 stood above you. He was well-fed, dark curls above his eyes and his chubby hands clutched a bag of colourful, sugary gumdrops.

“I saw you fall,” He stated. Great. Someone else who saw your tumble. You said nothing, did he come here to make fun of you?

“Want some?” He asks, shoving his bag of candy in your face. You were a little shocked at his blunt kindness. You had not spoken to Sejanus since his arrival at the Capitol a month ago. His arrival was instantly marked with hostility and distaste from other students. The others in your class rejected him entirely, opting to make him the object of their bullying, leaving Sejanus utterly friendless. You never participated in the bullying, but you never stopped it. You were simply indifferent, and maybe that made you complicit.

“Sure,” You sniffled, and wiped leftover tears from under your eyes. Sejanus moved to your left and sat beside you up against the grey concrete wall of the school. He ruffled through the bag, placing a bright blue gumdrop in your palm. You plopped it in your mouth, its sweetness enveloping your tongue. While your family wasn’t poor, the war had been rough on your family. Candy and sweets were only for birthdays and special occasions now.

“I’m Sejanus by the way,” The boy smiled, sticking out a chubby hand, waiting for you to shake it. You’d met enough of your mother’s coworkers to know what to do. You awkwardly reached out and shook his hand and returned the greeting. His hand was sticky.

“You ran really fast out there,” He said, reaching into the bag and grabbing a gumdrop for himself. 

“Thanks,” Your voice broke a little, tears still threatening to spill. Sejanus looked down at your hands, trailing his gaze to your knees, Bloody scrapes littered them, pieces of gravel still stuck to your left side. He reached forward and brushed it off for you.

“Do you wanna play hide and seek?” He asked, turning towards you.

“Can’t,” You sniffled. “M’knee hurts.”

Sejanus thought about this for a moment. A look of deep concentration washed over his soft, round features. 

“Want me to kiss it better?” He asked, his voice filled with innocence. 

“What?” You asked, a little shocked. “A kiss,” he repeated. “When I fall and get sad, my Ma kisses me better.”

Before you can say anything, he leans down, placing a feathery kiss to your knee, lips barely grazing your skin.

“There, now you’ll get better!” He smiled sweetly. It was contagious, a small grin crept up your lips in return. Sejanus rummaged in his pocket for a moment before he pulled out a packet of cards.

“Wanna play go fish?” He asked eagerly.

“I don’t know how to play,” You said quietly. Sejanus thought for a moment. “We can make a card tower if you want?” Now that, you could do.

“Sure!” You chirped. Sejanus’s joy was infectious. He spent the rest of the recess making you laugh, cheering every time you both successfully added another level to your tower. When the bell rang signaling the end of recess, you quickly knocked your 4-level tower down and helped Sejanus put the cards away. 

“Thanks for playing with me today!” You smiled, a new spring in your step, your injured knee long-forgotten about.

“Do you wanna play together tomorrow?” Sejanus asked, looking down at the ground. You knew he was used to people not wanting to play with him, let alone be near him.

“Of course!” You beamed at him and lined up behind Coriolanus Snow. Some of the other students shot you dirty looks, seething that you would associate with a District boy. You paid it no mind, however. You were just happy to have a brand new friend to play with.

It's funny how tripping on the school yard completely altered the course of your life. A familiar voice snapped you out of your thoughts. 

“If I have to write one more paper for Dr. Gaul, I think I’m going to drop out and join the Peacekeepers.” Sejanus sigh, tapping your shoulder from behind. You glance up and follow him with your eyes as he sits across from you in the dining hall. 

“Don’t,” you groan in mock annoyance. “Who else will I have to annoy and pester during class?” you say, knitting your eyebrows together in concern.

“I’ll talk to Coriolanus, I’m sure he can annoy you at least once a day,” Sejanus smirks, pulling his notebook from his satchel. You tut and roll your eyes. Sejanus rests his elbow on the white marble table, placing his head in his hands as he skims his notes. His dark curly hair falls over his forehead, largely obscuring his face. His cheeks look soft, lips pursed as he concentrates. His baby fat from childhood had now melted away and made room for a strong, muscular build that differed from the usual physique of Capitol boys. Sejanus definitely looked District, but maybe that’s why you found him so attractive now.

“Are we still going to the White Pony?” He asks, referencing one of the restaurants you both frequented. He never looked up from his notes. Good, he didn’t see you staring. Your eyes snap down towards your lap, making it look as though you are utterly engrossed with your red cloth napkin that you're playing with in your hands.

“Can’t today,” you sigh, leaning back in the hard dining hall chair. “Clemensia and I are meeting for coffee.” Your eyes drift around the cafeteria. The low light of the late afternoon cast shadows across the pristine white floors, bathing everything in a golden light. A few stragglers from the day remained in the cafeteria, chatting and reviewing notes, much like you and Sejanus were.

“That’s unfortunate,” he said, only glancing up at you momentarily. The single beam of orange light from the large arched window behind you illuminated his eyes perfectly. The caramel-coloured specks in his eyes lit up only for a moment.

“I was hoping I could show you some of the renovations they did.”

Now you feel guilty. You cursed yourself internally for making spur of the moment plans for a coffee date with Clemensia.

“I’m sorry Sej, tomorrow?” You ask, your voice softening. His eyes flick up to your face momentarily at the use of the nickname. Only you called him that. You reach your hand forward and stroke his wrist, covered by the crimson fabric of the Academy jacket you both wear. He lifts his head up, smiling at you, but visibly unhappy. You’ve known Sejanus for almost 10 years now, and you know when your best friend-turned-crush is upset.

“How can I make it up to you?” You loosen your grip on his wrist and trail your hand downwards to his fingertips, tapping yours against them gently as a comforting gesture.

“You can’t,” he groaned. “I will never forgive you for this,” He slumps forward, touching his head to your hand. His curly brown hair feels so soft tickling against your hand. “I see your loyalties lie elsewhere, I’m devastated,” he sighs, voice muffled and shaking as if he is on the verge of tears. You’d be tempted to believe it, if it were not for the fact that you can feel his lips smiling into your palm as he speaks. You choose to play along with his pretend outrage.

“Oh no! This really is terrible! I am so upset that Sejanus Plinth, my oldest and best friend, hates me!” You spoke almost too loudly. Two ginger-haired boys nearby shot you a glare, but you quickly disregarded it. “How ever will I regain his trust?” You ask, voice dripping in sarcasm and a smile creeping up your lips. Sejanus kept his head pressed in your hand, his shoulders shaking as he attempted to stifle his laughter. You continue.

“Maybe…” You hesitate for a moment. “Maybe I can bring in one of my chocolate muffins? Would he forgive me then?”

Sejanus’s head snaps up, beaming at you. “Deal.” He laughs. You giggle in return. Sejanus loves your baking, often saying it was almost as good as his Ma’s baking. That was high praise for you, always hoping you can outdo Ma Plinth but never fully succeeding.

You squeeze his hand gently before removing it. Your heart flutters at the loss of contact, wishing you could have that connection for even a moment longer.

“I have to get going,” you say, moving to get up, Sejanus stands too. You smooth out the wrinkles of your jacket and shirt. “Clemensia is going to kill me if I’m late again.”

“I don’t think you’ve been on time to anything in your whole life,” Sejanus smiles at you, teasing you. He picks up your bag as well as his own.

“You are so rude! I don’t know why I put up with you!” You gasp, laughing as you give him a playful shove, walking out the swinging white doors of the cafeteria and down the hall.

“Probably because you love me,” Sejanus laughs. You could tell it was supposed to be a joke but you feel your breath hitch in your throat. He knew? How did he know? Who told him? His words echo through the high ceilings of the hall and your mouth opens and closes like a fish. Sejanus sensed the shift in atmosphere and his laughter died out too. 

You muster a dry chuckle.

“Yeah,” you smile. “Something like that.” The tension in the air still hangs thick between you. Sejanus stares down at his shoes, shifting his weight between one foot and the other awkwardly. He opens his mouth to speak, but you beat him to it.

“Thanks for carrying my bag!” You chirp, trying to diffuse the tension. You reach and grab the brown satchel off his shoulder, pulling it close. Before he can speak, you glance at the watch on your wrist. 

“I really have to get going, I am officially dead to Clemensia,” you muster a nervous laugh. He chuckles half-heartedly in return. “Yeah. I should get home too,” he said softly. You turn and wave goodbye to him, before starting at a quick pace down the hall. Sejanus’s booming voice shouts out from behind you.

“Don’t forget the muffins!” He calls, cupping his hands over his mouth. The high intricate ceiling of the hall echoes his words.

“Muffins! Muffins! Muffins!”

You smile, not turning back to face him. “I won’t!” You yell back, before ducking into the stairwell. 

Exiting the school, you gasped in the crisp spring air. The embarrassment hit you a second time. 

“Idiot!” You curse yourself, slapping your temples as you march down the road.

…

“Oh my god, you didn’t,” Clemensia claps a hand over her mouth. “No, you’re messing with me, you didn’t,” She gasps in disbelief. You offer her a wonky smile as an answer. “Oh my god, you’re serious,” She sighs, running her hands through her raven hair, eyes wide. Clemensia had become a close friend of yours after that day on the playground - one of your only other friends aside from Sejanus. Coincidentally, she was the only person who knew of your huge crush on him.

“I’m so worried he’s going to hate me, Clemmie,” You sigh, waving your hand in dismissal, but accidentally almost knocking your rose tea over. You caught it before it fell, taking an awkward sip. “I don’t know why I froze up, I know he meant it in a friendly way.”

Clemensia picked up her latte, a look of concentration etched on her face. She pauses for a moment, the chatter in the warm cafe filling the silence.

“I don’t think you messed anything up,” she speaks slowly, lowering her cup. Her red lipstick is smudged against the dainty china. “But I do think you have to be careful. He probably won’t think too much about it, but if he reads too much into it, he’ll get suspicious.” She says pointedly. You groan and cover your eyes with your hands. For the last two years, you had successfully kept your crush on Sejanus under wraps. You already showed physical affection to one another through playful nudges, hugs and you would even occasionally hold hands. And it satisfied you for a while, content with the limited physical affection. But as time passed, Sejanus grew more into his features, and his demeanor only got sweeter, and suddenly affection between friends was insufficient. You found yourself lying awake at night dreaming about him, wondering what it would feel like to have his body pressed against yours, drifting off to sleep together. More than anything, you wanted to know if those soft pink lips felt as gentle on yours as you had imagined.

“Promise me you won’t tell a soul,” you peak up at her from your hands, glaring slightly. Clemensia laughs, her dark eyes crinkling at the corners. Her laughter was a sweet sound.

“I promise,” she said, kicking you gently under the table. "When have I ever told anyone? I might make you start paying me to keep a secret, though," She winks. You roll your eyes playfully. Clemensia looks to the side, gazing off at the art and floral arrangements in the elegant cafe. A devilish grin appeared across her face. “If things between you and Sejanus don’t work out, you could always try that guy over there instead,” she pointed to her right, her finger obscured by her latte cup. You know the drill, you crane your neck, pretending to stretch and follow Clemensia’s gaze and finger with your eyes. You snap back into place. “Clemensia, he’s old!” You whisper-yell at her. She snorts with laughter as the old man dressed in tweed in the corner she pointed to is none the wiser to the interaction.

…

“So I told Festus that if he so much as looks at me again, I’m going to report him to the Dean and have him sent to what’s left of District 13 myself,” Clemensia jokes as you walk around the Capitol park. She had insisted you go for an evening stroll through the park. The sun has set now, and the only light to be found in the park is that from the dim street lights. Crickets nestled in the bushes and dewy grass chirp their song into the evening. While the students’ overall opinion of you is not favourable at the Academy, you were thankful for having Clemensia by your side. It was nice having at least one friend who wasn’t complicated the same way Sejanus was.

“God, do you think Festus'll try anything again?” You giggle, cocking an eyebrow as you walk around the park together, gravel crunching under every step. “Doubt it,” she smirked. “Consider it handled.”

You round a corner, approaching some sleeping ducks, the moon shining bright over the pond, casting its reflection into the water. Further down the path, a tall figure stands, skipping stones into the water. They bounce one, two, three times before sinking with a loud plop. The dim street lamps provide no light where the figure stands, surrounding him in mystery.

“Who’s even out this late?” Clemensia said, judging the figure ahead of you. You turned to her, staring blankly into her eyes.

“Us, Clemmie. We’re also out this late.” You said flatly, Clemensia rolled her eyes. “Do you think maybe he’s a murderer, preying on unsuspecting people in the park?” She grabbed your shoulders, startling you. Your heart pounds a bit harder in your chest at her actions.

“If he is, I’m pushing you and running,” you tease her, smirking. She laughs loudly. You had been so engrossed in the conversation with her that you failed to notice the winding root of a willow tree poking out of the pathway. 

“Careful!” Clemensia yelled, trying to get your attention. It was too late, your foot had already hooked underneath the root and sent you flying forward. You lift your hands quickly to protect your face and you hit the gravel of the path below with a loud thud. You slide on impact, loose gravel flying everywhere.

“Are you okay?” Clemensia shrieks. If the figure was a murderer, he was definitely coming for you now. The sound of rapid footsteps comes pounding up to you. A familiar voice calls out your name in panic. Glancing up from your position on the floor, you saw Sejanus running up to you from a distance. So that’s who the dark figure was. You groan, partially from pain and partially from the situation you just got yourself into with him. You glance over at Clemensia as she tries grabbing your arm, attempting to help you up. You mouth the words “help me,” to her. She only stifles a laugh, leaning in to whisper in your ear, “You’ll be fine, you still have your humour.” You really don't want him to see you like this, especially not after such an embarrassing fall. You groan again as she tries lifting you a little higher. The pounding of Sejanus’s footsteps stops abruptly and you feel a second arm snake around your waist. 

“I’ve got you,” Sejanus whispers softly as he lifts you. His face pressed into the side of your head as he lifts you, breathing softly against your hair. He's stronger than Clemensia, helping you to your feet with ease. You stand, but your knee buckles under you. Sejanus catches you, firmly holding your waist in place with his arm. “C’mon, over there,” You hear him say to Clemensia, he cocks his head gesturing to the bench nearby. You hobble over to the bench, both of your friends holding you up. With every step, you feel a sharp sting in your knee, shooting up your body. You wonder how bad it looks. You hadn’t even had the chance to assess the damage before your friends rushed to your aid.

Clemensia helps you lower yourself onto the wooden park bench as Sejanus sits beside you. He gently lifts your leg and pulls it onto his lap as he sits to elevate it.

“Guys, it's really not that big of a deal,” you groan. You feel your face flush darker at all the extra attention.

“Let me just look,” Sejanus mumbles, pulling something out of his bag. “Can you even see in this light?” You ask incredulously, raising an eyebrow at him. “Mhmm,” he mumbles again. “This will sting.”

Before you even have time to process, a sharp burn hits your knee. Rubbing alcohol. You hiss through gritted teeth, throwing your head back. Sejanus has a look of absolute concentration on his face, his head lowered close to your knee. As you suspected, he couldn’t see well, but the idea of him trying to help you regardless makes your heart beat a little faster.

“I… I just remembered I have a paper for Professor Click due tomorrow.” Clemensia stutters, awkwardly taking a step back from you.

“What? No we don’t!” You exclaim, staring at her open-mouthed.

“Well, it's an extra credit paper!” Clemensia gazes down at her feet, starting off down the path.

“I want extra credit!” You call after her.

“No you don’t!” She yells back, you could barely see her wink in the dim light of the path, giving you a thumbs-up gesture. What a jerk. You'll be sure to give her a piece of your mind tomorrow. You roll your eyes and chuckle slightly as she takes off out of sight. Your focus falls back on Sejanus. You see that the red Academy pants you wear are ripped open, blood coating your knee. You gasp a little at the sight. Sejanus picks up on this, still tending to your knee.

“It looks worse than it is,” he said, attempting to reassure you. You sigh, tilting your head back. The budding tree above your head rustles, and the rushing water of the duck pond calms your nerves slightly.

“I’m sorry,” you start. “I didn’t mean to ruin your evening. I didn’t even know you’d be here.”

Sejanus chuckled softly. “You could never ruin anything. I’m just happy to see my best friend.” You swallow hard. ‘Friend.’ Yeah. Because you two are friends and little else.

“I’m happy to see you too,” you swallow. Sejanus dabs at the blood on your knee with his handkerchief, rummaging through his satchel some more. “It’s like we’re kids again,” you whisper quietly, tears pricking at your eyes.

“Hm?” Sejanus mumbles, concentrating on tending to you. “The playground, when we were eight,” you mumble. Sejanus laughs softly. “Yeah, it is actually.” Silence washes over you two again. He was so warm beside you, giving a little extra heat in the cool spring night. An owl hoots softly in the distance as Sejanus reaches into your pant leg to wrap gauze around your knee. You think back to the day you properly met him. How sweet and innocent he was, providing a childish love to you, who had never shown him the same courtesy until that moment on the pavement. The tears gather at your eyelashes, not yet spilling. He’s so attentive to you, face scrunched in concentration as he finishes dressing your knee.

“You forgot something,” you whisper, your voice barely audible. Sejanus lifted his head, giving you his full attention.

“What did I forget?” He asks, leaning his elbow against the back of the bench. You can just make out a sweet smile on his face in the moonlight. A single tear trails down your cheek, he looks perfect. Sejanus leans forward, wiping it away, rough hands caressing your face. You lean into his touch.

“You always kiss it better,” you say quietly. Sejanus lets out a low laugh. “Where does it hurt?” He asks, his voice matching your volume. You choke up and point to your knee. Sejanus chuckles, adjusting himself on the bench. He leans down, gently bending your leg at the knee and places a soft kiss to the fabric of the gauze enveloping your leg. You feel the slight pressure of his lips and sigh, content.

“Anywhere else?” He whispers playfully. You nod slightly, stretching out your lightly scraped hands and forearms.

“Here.” You say flatly. Sejanus sits up, shuffling closer to you on the bench. His arm wraps around your waist and pulls your body a little closer to him on the bench. He gently takes your hands in his, bringing them up to his pink lips. He kisses your fingertips gently, smooth lips touching the pads of your fingers. He presses one, two, three, four, five kisses to the tip of each finger, before repeating on the other hand. Your eyes flutter shut, and another tear rolls down your cheek. 

Sejanus brings the palm of your hands up to his mouth, his lips ghosting over them before pressing his mouth gently onto your palms over and over again. The contact stings slightly, but that melts away quickly, your body relaxing into his touch.

You barely register as he pulls the arms of your shirt and jacket up to reveal your slightly scraped forearms. He kisses your arms, starting at the wrists and gradually working his way up to the elbow. You feel your eyes glaze over and your breathing becomes shallow. He's perfect. His breath tickles your sensitive skin as his plush pink lips touch your skin. Sejanus lifts his head up.

“Anywhere else?” He asks under half-lidded eyes. His kind dark eyes flit down to your lips before back up at you. You swallow. It's now or never. Before you lose your nerve, you take a deep breath and lift your hand up. You gently tap your own bottom lip with your fingernail.

“Here.” You whisper, voice barely audible. Sejanus gasps softly. He doesn't hesitate, tilting his head slightly. He places one of his fingers under your chin and gently tips your head up towards him. His eyes scan yours for a moment, searching for a sign of hesitation. When he doesn't find it, he closes his eyes, as do you, and his soft lips grace yours momentarily before meeting for a full kiss. Your head spins immediately and your surroundings melt away. All you can focus on is him. You wrap your arms around his strong, broad shoulders, kissing him back. Sejanus’s grip on your waist tightens as he pulls you in, your chest presses against his and you can feel his heart hammering against his shirt. You tilt your head a little, deepening the kiss. His lips are sweet like sugar, parted mouth pressing gently against your bottom lip while you capture his upper lip with your teeth, pulling gently. His tongue swipes over your bottom lip, you gasp a little and arch your back. Sejanus’s tongue slips inside your now-open mouth, his tongue immediately finding yours. You push back against his slightly, still allowing him control. He sighs into your mouth and the sound lights something up inside you. You kiss him deeper, tilting your head and alternating directions. Sejanus's hands rub your back, while you grab a fistful of his hair, pulling lightly. He groans, teeth clacking against yours. You don't register the pain, too consumed by Sejanus as he grips you tighter.

You break apart for air first, panting. He rests his forehead against yours, his soft dark hair gently rubbing against your skin. His gaze falls into your lap, where he now holds your hands in his.

"Wow," he breathes, wiping saliva from the corner of his mouth. You giggle, still gasping for air.

“You have no idea how long I have wanted to do that,” he muttered, leaning in again and pressing another chaste kiss against your lips.

“How long?” You ask smiling, your heart pounding in your chest. Sejanus thinks for a moment. He jokingly places a finger against his chin and stares up at the moon in mock consideration.

“Hmm, probably since your 15th birthday party,” he smiles back at you. You gasp, grinning. “Your mother turned out the lights and you blew out your candles, and I remember how perfect you looked in the low light.” He continues. “And I have been hopelessly in love with you ever since.” He rubs his nose against yours.

You melt against Sejanus, throwing your arms around him and burying your face into his neck. “I think I’ve been in love with you for two whole years now,” you whisper against his neck, and he squeezes you even tighter.

“Really?” He whispers the question into your hair. You nod, your hair rubbing against his face. Pulling back, you smile at him.

“Your kisses are like magic, I feel better already,” You giggle. He laughs in return, leaning closer.

“You sure? Want another one just to be safe?” He asks softly, smirking as he already knew the answer. He leans in and captures your lips in his again. 

The air in the spring night is cool, but it's impossible for you to pay it any mind with Sejanus by your side. The wind whips around you as you kiss him hard. How grateful you are to have your best friend-turned-lover by your side. You make note to thank Clemensia next time you see her. This night is filled with soft glances and kisses, hushed ‘I love yous’ and the sweetest boy you ever met, sweeter than the gumdrops he gave you ten years prior.

[deepseaorchid]

An Update

I haven't updated this blog since 2022. For that, I am sorry. I'm about 6 years into what is shaping up to be a decade-long art block. Creating is difficult for me at this time but in 2024 I decided to;

Be more transparent about my struggles.

Create more and push through my art block.

I am chronically ill and only recently has my condition become manageable. When I created this blog, I was not in a good position in life. Today, I am doing so much better, and I have big things I'm looking forward to as I finish up University.

For now, I'm going to write what I feel like, for the media I like. Currently suffering from TBOSAS brainrot. I'm working on a thing...

Point being, I'm trying to post more, lurk less. Excited to see where this year takes us :)

[live-laugh-lesbian80083]

Fic Library

Hello and welcome to my fic library! All of the fics featured in this post are written by other amazing writers on this platform that deserve some love! All of these will have the author, title, and description/prompt of the fic! All fics featured are x reader :)

*-smut

ACTORS

Timothee Chalamet

Fluff

Request: are you still writing for Timothee and if so could you write something fluff for him please?

by @petersvenom

my boy

summary: headcannons

@melwilson

DUNE

Paul Atreides

Photographs

Summary: When you look through some old and new photographs with your Fiancee Paul, he admits that he has been carrying around his favorite one with him for a while without showing you

By @alaynes-writings

His Oasis

Request: i have a paul x reader request: remember when he arrived on arrakis and went to see the spies harvester with leto etc? so when he gets home, reader is really worried and upset because he could have gotten killed and they shower together & it‘s all fluff, angst & smut (if you‘re comfortable with that)

by @lex-the-flex

MARVEL

Bucky Barnes

All That's Left

Request: I saw somewhere on instagram that after Civil War, Seb said Bucky never got his backpack with the notebooks in it back, and I simply cannot accept that, lolll. Maybe Reader is somehow able to get the backpack back from the CIA or whoever has it?? And surprise Bucky with it??

by @foreverindreamlandd

Dr Stephen Strange

The Agent and Her Sorcerer

Summary: You, an agent who works with The Avengers, comes back to the compound to find that Doctor Strange has brought you coffee.

By @rosequartzwriting

Jake Lockley/Steven Grant/Marc Spector

sunday kind of love

Summary: a glimpse into the best and most domestic day of the week for jake and the reader.

by @egcdeath

Make Your Acquaintance

Summary: Reader is in and established relationship with Steven and Marc but has never met Jake before and is intimidated by his reputation. When an emergency requires Jake to take control for a while, you decide that it's time to introduce yourself.

by @howaboutcastiel

your smile, you're everything

summary: You're in the kitchen cooking something up for your boyfriend, jake. when you turn to look at him he lookds back at you, your heart swells. jake feels the exact same, maybe even more.

by @jakecockley

Atonement*

Summary: NSFW, safeword usage, jake lockley x f! reader, smut, rough sex, jake's filthy mouth, orgasm control, steven grant x f! reader, fluff, hurt/comfort (but mostly comfort), DID, general mental health discussion in relation to DID (nothing super serious)

by @soonknight

Kate Bishop

Soup & cuddles

Prompt: I don't care that you're sick. In fact, you need to be cuddled now, more than ever

By @alotofpockets

Peter Parker

Second Chances

Request: Omg for sure OKAY SO I have a NWH idea, reader is dating Peter (Tom’s) and when all the other Peters come, they’re confused because in their universe reader looks exactly the same (bc why not); and maybe like reader died in another universe so one of the Peters is super happy to see them. I don’t know but I’ve been wanting to see a fic with this idea since a few hours ago

by @wondergotham

Rainbow Road

Summary: y/n and Peter get up to some fun of their own after the kids go to bed

by @fairydxll

Stucky

Mornings w/ Steve + Bucky

summary: what the title says

by @spiritualchange-deactivated2022

Baby, it's Cold Outside

Summary: you spend a cold morning cuddled up with your boys

by @starks-hero

(birthday) surprises

Summary: your favorite boys have a surprise or two on your special day.

by @marvelous-avengers

Across From Unit 24 1/2

Summary: Noe on ever lasted in unit 24. Until them. Steve and Bucky found a permanent home in the apartment across from yours, and little did you know, but they found a home in you as well. They just really needed you to understand that their constant worrying and frequent were less neighborly and more... something else.

by @loveandstucky

Love, Unscripted

Summary: you have a surprise for your boys

by @joebean12-blog

STRANGER THINGS

Argyle

Basement Couch*

summary: your boyfriend Ari being in love with your small boobs

by @taiyothewriter

Argyle as your boyfriend - headcannons

request: May I request argyle with a artist s/o or just relationship headcannons for him

by @mollysolo

Headcannons

request: could you do a argyle x reader fic 🥲

by @galactic-magick

sneaking out

summary: usually Argyle comes late at night to sneak Jonathan out to smoke, but tonight he knocks on your window

by @jvblood

Homesick

Summary: after a phone call with Nancy, you find yourself missing Hawkins and your life back in Indiana more and more. As your mood starts to sour, and the weather gets colder your brother's best friend is by your side to cheer you up

by @deepseaorchid

Eddie Munson

fan behavior*

summary: it's not expected of the head cheeleader to go to the run-down bar to watch Eddie Munson's band. but it's also not expected of the two of you to ever meet. and what can eddie do, ignore is number one fan?

by @nezuscribe

Blurb

request: baby blurb of spending the night at eddie's house

by @luveline

Prized Possession

Request: Hey there friend!! I was wondering if it wouldn't be any trouble could I request a little something with Fem!Reader sleeping over at Eddie Munson's place while wearing his Hellfire club t- shirt?

by @kaylawritesfics

The Throne

Request: omg reader sitting in eddie's throne and mike and dustin just being scare shitless bc its eddie's throne but then eddie comes in all nonchalantly just like "oh she can sit in it just none of you can"

by @mad-elia

WEST SIDE STORY

Riff

Oh Brother pt 2

Summary: after meeting the Jets at Doc's, Tony takes you aside to talk

by @that1fanficwriter

QUEEN

IKEA Saviors

Prompt: I lost my sibling in IKEA, and I need your help finding them

by @metaphorical-love-for-a-car

John Deacon

The Little Devil

Summary: y/n and John have been on a few dates before they have a little mix up on halloween.

by @colinhughesboyo

[deepseaorchid]

Sorry for the unexpected hiatus :/

Hey folks as the title suggests, I took time off writing. I’m back though! I’m currently abroad and will be for the next month and a bit.

Furthermore, my partner who I’m living with and I got covid. It absolutely wiped me out which is why I struggled to write and post.

I hope everyone likes Homesick Part 2. I’m sorry for formatting issues. I usually write on my computer but I left my laptop back in my home country. Everything will be written on my phone while I’m abroad. I’ll edit for formatting when I get home.

How’s everyone doing after volume 2? I’ll try to keep my content spoiler free, or provide warnings.

Feel free to send in your requests if you’d like! I have some free time.

[deepseaorchid]

Homesick Part 2 - Argyle x Byers!Reader

A/N: The long awaited sequel to “Homesick” is here!

Summary: A heated argument with your brother, Jonathan, leaves your spirits crushed. Luckily for you, the sweetest stoner is here to boost your mood and leave butterflies in your stomach by taking you on an unforgettable date!

Warnings: Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Some language, Possibly spelling and grammar mistakes as this was written on my phone. Reader is implied female.

...

“What do you mean, I can’t see him tomorrow?” You cried out as you paced the kitchen. Your older brother Jonathan was angrily pacing the kitchen in front of you.

“For crying out loud, Y/N! He’s MY friend!” Jonathan yelled back, gesturing madly. “What makes you wish I’d honestly want you going on a date with Argyle?”

“He’s a good person!” You shouted back, eyes beginning to sting. “And he was nice to me. Why can’t you just accept that I like him?” You screamed so loud your throat hurt. Jonathan took a step back at your sudden outburst, shocked. Tension shook the living room and kitchen as you both stared at each other, chests heaving. The tears in your eyes had begun spilling down your cheeks.

“I’m not doing this right now.” Jonathan quickly turned on his heels and stormed back to his bedroom, slamming the door behind him. An ugly sob left your lips as you slid down the wall. Just minutes ago, you were on cloud nine, overjoyed that your crush had asked you on a date for tomorrow. Now, you felt defeated. Sometimes it felt as though Jonathan sapped all the happiness from you on purpose. But isn’t that an older sibling’s purpose?

Your thoughts were interrupted by the front door opening. Your mother stepped in and removed her shoes.

“Hey Y/N! So I swung by the grocery store. They didn’t have those blueberry muffins you like. I hope carrot is-” she stopped mid-sentence noticing you on the floor. “Sweetie, what happened?” Joyce led you to the dining table and put her arm around you gently

Your sobbing only increased. Through tears, you explained the situation to your mother. She patiently listened as you struggled to get through your story. When you finished, she took a deep breath, processing all you said.

“Would you like me to have a word with Jonathan?”

“No, that’ll only make it worse,” you whispered, voice hoarse. You didn’t know how your mom could help you through this situation.

“I think I should head to bed,” you sighed wiping your tears. Joyce’s eyes remained fixed on you as you walked upstairs to your bedroom, all the way until you closed the door.

You had no more tears left to cry. In the dim light of your bedroom, you slipped off Argyle’s button down shirt he gave to you. You held it in your hands as delicately as possible, almost as if it would break if you were too rough with it. Changing into pyjamas, you tucked yourself under the covers in your bed and placed Argyle’s shirt beside you amidst your stuffed toys from your childhood. You felt your heart beat faster at the thought of seeing Argyle tomorrow. That is, if your brother would let you. Why was he so bothered about you seeing Argyle? That was a question for later. As exhaustion crept over you, you turned the bedside lamp off and felt your eyes close slowly.

...

You awoke to the smell of pancakes creeping through your door. Today is the day. You carefully planned your outfit. You weren’t sure what Argyle had planned but decided to throw something a little dressed-up on, just in case.

By the time you had finished putting on your clothes and fixing your hair and makeup, it had turned 12. Anxiety bubbled in your stomach. Argyle would meet you at 1pm to pick you up, but your next concern is making it past Jonathan.

“Y/N! Are you going to have breakfast or should I clean up?” Your mother’s chirpy voice called down to you.

“Coming, Mom!” You called back. Closing your compact, you walked downstairs to grab the last of the pancakes your mom made. As your feet thudded downstairs, you caught a glimpse of Jonathan drinking a glass of juice at the table. When he noticed you, his eyebrows furrowed and the look in his eyes hardened. You gulped. Of course his mind hadn’t changed since last night.

Sitting down at the table, you grabbed the nearest pancake from the stack and started cutting into it.

“Big day today Y/N! When are you and Argyle meeting?” Joyce beamed. Your eyes flicked nervously to Jonathan who was staring daggers at you, knuckles almost turning white around the glass.

“He’s coming to pick me up in about an hour, Mom.” You responded nonchalantly. At that response, Jonathan got up and stormed out of the kitchen, heading back to his room and slamming the door. You rolled your eyes into the back of you skull.

“Just ignore him. He’ll get over this eventually,” Joyce patted your shoulder reassuringly.

“Yeah, eventually.” You moped.

Just then, a long and drawn out honk sounded from the driveway. Joyce peered out the window, then turned to you and smiled.

“He’s here!”

Crap. Your heart sunk into your stomach. It’s only 12:30pm, he was supposed to be her at 1. Scrambling up from the table, you ran to the bathroom to check your hair in the mirror. It will have to do, there’s no time for changes now. You rushed to put your sneakers on, saying a quick “goodbye” to your mom on the way out the door.

You opened the door right as Argyle had started another honk. He quickly rolled down the window.

“Hey brochacho! You ready to have the time of your life?” He beamed at you. A smile creeped up your lips in turn.

“No, she’s not.” You whipped your head around. Jonathan was heading up the path towards Argyle’s van, taking long strides as he went.

“Shit.” You muttered under your breath. You broke out into a run towards Argyle’s van, opening and slamming the door behind you. Jonathan was hot on you tail.

“Argyle, drive!” You gasped. You didn’t have to tell him twice. Argyle hit the gas and sped down the road, leaving your brother behind in a trail of dust.

“Jesus, I’ve never seen your brother look so pissed. What did you do to him?” Argyle joked once you’d reached a red light. You signed, pushing your hair out of your face.

“I went on a date with you,” you sighed turning to Argyle.

“Ah, well don’t worry. You and I are about to have the best time. Maybe then Jonathan will see I’m not so bad, huh?” Argyle grinned at you while giving you little shoves. That smile he loved so much crept across your lips. His gaze lingered a little too long on you. Your eyes flicked up to meet his. Argyle quickly flicked his eyes back to the road, swallowing hard. In that moment, Argyle knew he’d do anything today to keep seeing that smile.

...

Argyle’s van pulled into the parking lot of... a junkyard? You squinted, trying to make out the shapes and and objects. Scrap metal laid strewn across the ground and broken cars lay abandoned in heaps. This wasn’t quite what you had in mind for a date.

“What... is this place?” You asked quietly, not taking your eyes off the sight in front of you.

“This,” Argyle said, turning off the van, “is the most awesome, amazing hangout spot in all of Lenora Hills.”

Stepping out of the van, Argyle opened your door and held out his hand, helping you down. Your fingertips brushed his calloused ones, and you felt your breath catch in your throat. Argyle disappeared into the back of the van and retrieved two golf clubs, and a big bin full of golf balls.

“We’re playing... golf? In a junkyard?” You asked apprehensively. This man was challenging every idea you’ve ever had on what a “first date” should be like.

“Not just any type of golf. Watch this,” Argyle gripped the club between his hands and swung. The ball sailed through the air, disappearing from sight. Suddenly, a loud crash rang out, followed by the tinkling of breaking glass.

“Aw sweet, I think I hit a window!” Argyle crowd out in triumph.

“So we just break things with the golf balls?”

“Yep, pretty much. But I was thinking we could talk while we play. Maybe we can get to know each other better,” the long-haired man smiled at you. God that man knew how to make your heart beat faster.

Taking a golf club in your hand, you lined the end up with the ball.

“So, what made you take me here as a first date, and not like, the movies or something” you asked, not breaking your focus from the ball.

“I wanted to take you to do something I like doing. I come here to blow off steam and chill here with Jonathan.”

Jonathan. That name was leaving a sour taste in your mouth. You were still mad at your older brother. Taking a deep breath, you swung your club over your shoulder, getting ready to make the hit.

“I wanted to get to know you as well as Jonathan. Well, maybe better than Jonathan. No disrespect to my bro but you’re like, way prettier than him.”

*Crack*

Your club collided with the ball. The ball veered completely to the right, breaking the mirror of a rusty red pickup truck.

Your breath caught in your throat. Did you hear that right? Argyle actually thinks you’re pretty?

“Really?” You asked, looking up at him.

“Really really,” he laughed, lining a ball up. You were amazed at how calm he seemed to be. You were currently freaking out.

As argyle concentrated on his aim, he shot a quick glance at you. “Tell me about yourself,” he said softly.

“What would you like to know?” You asked, watching the way his knuckles gripped tightly around the club. You studied the details of his face. His eyebrows were furrowed slightly and his tongue darted out from his soft red lips for a moment.

“Tell me anything. I only know what Jonathan tells me about you, and what I’ve noticed about you. Something tells me you’re not as annoying as Jonathan makes you out to be,” he smirked. You scoffed quietly.

“What kind of movies do you like?” He asked, taking the shot. The ball missed the cars, making a sad thud in the dirt.

“Well, when I was a kid, my favourite movie was Alice in Wonderland. Now though, I think Star Wars is my favourite,” you looked at him smiling.

“Oh sick dude, for real? That’s one of my favourites too!” Argyle nodded, offering a warm smile. You felt your face warm up. It was your turn to swing now.

...

You and Argyle bounced back and forth with conversation in between shots at cars for hours. When hunger began gnawing at your stomach, you insisted on taking Argyle to your favourite pasta place. You and your date were by far the most underdressed people in the restaurant but all eyes were on you two. Argyle cracked another stupid joke making you laugh out loud. Tears pricked your eyes as you gasped for breath. It was nearing 7 o’clock and in these few hours, it felt as though you’d known Argyle your whole life.

Argyle threw an arm around your shoulders, walking you back to the van after insisting on paying the bill. You hadn’t stopped laughing, even into the parking lot. Holding his hand as he helped you climb into the van, you felt your heart warm as you looked into his gentle brown eyes. Argyle bit his lip, and in that moment you wanted nothing more than to throw you arms around his neck and kiss him.

“There’s one more place I want to take you,” he spoke up, snapping you back to reality.

“Where to? Another surprise?” You asked him as he climbed into the van, winking. His Adam’s apple bobbed but he kept composure.

“You know me too well, dude,” Argyle chuckled.

The drive was relatively silent on the way to the final mystery location. Perhaps what made you silent for the first time that day was the growing ball of nerves forming in your stomach. Maybe it was the way the dim streetlights lit up Argyle’s face perfectly, perfectly cast shadows dancing across his face. In that moment, the crush you had on Argyle grew into a deep want. You wanted so badly to kiss him, to be held by him, to touch him, that it was almost unbearable.

The van came to an abrupt stop, snapping you out of your thoughts. You’d arrived at a cliff overlooking the entirety of Lenora Hills. The lights of the houses and buildings flickered and danced under the stars. ‘Magical’ would be an understatement.

Argyle flicked the radio on and dialled it to a slow jazz station. Turning to you, he spoke in barely more than a whisper.

“Dance with me.”

Your feet carried you out the van and towards him. Argyle wrapped one hand around your waist, cautiously pulling you in closer to him. One of your small hands laced it’s way into his large ones. Your free arm reached behind his back, swaying chest-to-chest.

As the music played softly, Argyle swayed the both of you from side to side, spinning you around once in a while. You felt lightheaded and your cheeks hurt from smiling.

As the song drew closer to an end, Argyle drew you in closer, your head leaning on his shoulder. He tilted his head towards your ear.

“Is it okay if I kiss you right now?”

You felt your whole world freeze. You met his gaze. Swallowing hard, you glanced down at his lips. You leaned in slowly and Argyle met you halfway. His lips were soft against yours. You sighed softly, tilting your head slightly to deepen the kiss. Argyle hummed into your lips, moving his hand from yours, to your cheek, stroking it softly. Your grip around his back tightened. You never wanted to let him go. If only you could freeze time...

You broke away for air, resting your forehead against his.

“Woah,” you giggled.

“Woah,” Argyle responded, voice playful as always. You both laughed together, before you wrapped your arms around his neck, pulling him in for another kiss.

...

Argyle turned the van onto your street, slowing down as he approached your house. A sad feeling built inside you. You wished this perfect date never had to end.

“Can I see you again?” Argyle asked shyly.

“Only of my brother doesn’t kill me first.” You joked, making Argyle smile. You leaned in and pecked him on the lips.

“I pick the next date though, k?” You smiled, batting your eyelashes at him.

“K,” he breathed, mesmerised by you.

“See you at school, dude,” you winked at him, climbing out the van door.

“Not if I see you first, dude,” Argyle grinned. You laughed, sliding the van door closed. You gave him one last wave before you opened the door to your house.

...

Joyce was staring daggers at the door, waiting not-so-patiently for your arrival. When the front door clicked open, she immediately ran to open it for you. Flinging it open, she only had one question on her mind.

“How was the date?” She asked frantically. You smiled at your mother.

“It was great, Mom. We’re going on another one,” you grinned. A second figure at the dinner table instantly made your smile drop. Your older brother sat at his place, with an emotion on his face you couldn’t quite read. Joyce picked up on this.

“I’ll let you two talk. Tell me all about the date later,” she whispered, patting your shoulders and walking off.

Silence washed over the room at your mother’s departure.

“So...” You started, hoping to break the tension.

“I’m sorry.” Jonathan stated.

“Sorry for what?”

Jonathan rolled his eyes into his head. “I’m sorry for getting mad at you going on a date with Argyle.”

You grinned at your victory.

“Thanks Jonny,” you smiled.

“Don’t push it, Y/N.” Jonathan tried to remain serious but couldn’t help but break out into a chuckle. You laughed too, stretching your arms out for a hug. Jonathan stood up and obliged. You missed those tight hugs from your older brother.

“It’ll take some getting used to, but I’m happy you’re happy Y/N.” He smiled. “Tell me about it in the morning, k?” Jonathan turned and walked towards his bedroom.

“K!” You called back before his door closed.

Of course days that have the roughest starts, have the happiest endings.

[deepseaorchid]

Announcement!

First of all, thank you guys for enjoying my work. Means a lot to me :)

Requests will be temporarily closing on the 21st of June at 11:59. I'll announce the reopening. Get them in soon before they close! You can submit a request past the deadline, but I won’t be able to work on it until I reopen submissions.

Your requests are in the works atm. Currently, I have three that are wips, as well as part 2 to Homesick!

The key to my heart is requesting Argyle x reader content. My boy is very underappreciated. Nudge nudge wink wink, please request for Argyle as I genuinely love writing for him.

[deepseaorchid]

I would like to request a fic for my baby eddie, one where he has a gf who’se a complete sweetheart but nobody knew about her bc she graduated a few years back (when edds was supposed to aswell) and they find out somehow and everybody is like 👀👀 and eddie just being a smug bastard like yeah that one is mine !!!

Idk if this is something you’d be up to, if not no worries!

It is posted! Sorry it took me a bit. I had REALLY bad writers block for some reason. I ended up rewriting it maybe 5 times!

I really hope you like it! :)

you're a sunset in the rain on Tumblr

Cupcakes - Eddie Munson x Fem!Reader

[deepseaorchid]

Cupcakes - Eddie Munson x Fem!Reader

This was requested by wrcn9fvlcver

Summary: Some free time from college allows you to bake cupcakes and drop in on your old Dungeons and Dragons club at Hawkins High School. But more importantly, it gives you chance to see your boyfriend, Eddie!

Word Count: 1.3k

Warnings: Fluff, some language, very mild suggestive themes near the end

The sweet smell of the sugar icing on the cupcakes on the backseat of your car filled your nose. A familiar tight ball of excitement formed in your stomach as you drove, concocting the best way to present these to your boyfriend, Eddie Munson.

You glanced down at the time on your watch. 3:57pm. By the time you would arrive at Hawkins High, Eddie’s Dungeons and Dragons club should be in full swing. You grinned from ear-to-ear, thinking about how you’d silently sneak into the room the members met in, drop the cupcakes off and wait for them to finish. You truly missed the Hawkins High D&D club. You wondered how much had changed since you were last a senior at Hawkins High. You hadn’t attended a Hellfire meeting since you graduated. Your schedules and Eddie’s were so different now. There were no similar clubs at the college you attended, which is what made Hellfire Club so special to you. This was one of the few things you considered to be positive about your boyfriend being a repeating senior. What are the members like now? You hadn’t met anyone and you thought the cupcakes would be a good way to introduce yourself to everyone as a former co-creator of Hellfire Club.

Arriving at a stoplight, you glanced back at the cupcakes. You had decorated them with black icing, and a crudely-drawn red devil with horns on each of them. Each cupcake had two large yellow sprinkles shaped like stars for eyes. You didn’t have anything else to use. You hoped the Hellfire Club wouldn’t mind that much. You were no cake decorator, and some of the devils looked more like misshapen red blobs than anything, but it’s the thought that counts, right? Smiling to yourself as you turned a corner, you couldn’t wait to see the players’ reactions to your creation. More than anything, however, you were excited for your boyfriend’s reaction. You were almost positive he knew you were dropping in to say hi today, as you had asked a suspicious amount of questions to him over the phone the past weekend.

“Edds, remind me again, how many people joined Hellfire Club this year?”

“You guys still start at the same time, right?

“Does anyone have any food allergies, by chance?”

You knew all too well you were not being discreet but how could you be? You were bursting with excitement at the thought of meeting everyone and getting to spend time with your boyfriend, doing one of your favourite activities!

Pulling into the parking lot at Hawkins High School, you immediately identified Eddie’s van. Excellent, he’s inside. Parking your car and climbing out, you grabbed the cupcakes and placed the lid on top, making sure it was as secure as possible. Using your hip to slam the passenger side door shut, you walked up to the back entrance of the school.

Stepping inside, a wave of nostalgia hit you. It had only been a year and a half but the atmosphere at Hawkins High was incomparable. 

Starting down the hallway, you passed by walls displaying the different graduating class’ pictures throughout the years. Eventually, you reached the door to the Hellfire Club. You could hear shouting from inside. The game must be in full swing by now. Quietly pushing the door open, cupcakes still in hand, you peaked in through the crack in the door. You saw Eddie at the head of the table, and a few people surrounding him, all boys. You pushed the door open all the way and sat down at an unused chair by the entrance. Setting the cupcakes on the table, you thought you might as well watch for as long as they didn’t notice you. 

You kept your eyes trained on Eddie as he played out the story. Watching his toned arms reach across the table, and his brow furrowed in concentration. About 10 minutes into watching from the shadows, Eddie looked up, making eye contact with you and winking, a mischievous smirk dancing across his face. It was enough to make you giggle, startling the other members.

“Jesus! Who the hell are you?” A boy with brown curly hair and a baseball cap yelled.

“Sorry, sorry, I’m Y/N. Nice to meet you!”

“Also known as my lovely girlfriend.” Eddie sauntered over to you, wrapping his arms around your waist and kissing you softly.

“Since when did you have a girlfriend?!” One of the members asked.

“Since about three years ago? Is that right?” Eddie looked at you, cocking an eyebrow.

“Nah, almost four. You’re forgetting our anniversary next month. You smiled back at him.

“Four years?!” The members shouted in unison. 

“Alright folks, enough questions. We’ve got goblins to slay,” Eddie pointed back to the table where the Hellfire Club was playing, redirecting everyone’s attention. The game resumed, but not before you’d passed out cupcakes and learned everyone’s names.

You dragged a chair up to sit beside Eddie, no longer needing to lurk in the shadows undetected. You wrapped your arms around his shoulders, snuggling your head into the crook of his neck.

“I missed this,” You sighed softly, your voice barely more than a whisper.

“I missed this too,” Eddie whispered back, kissing your forehead and leaning his head on yours.

Following the conclusion of another adrenaline-filled campaign, Eddie and the others packed up and started filing out of the room.

“Bye Y/N!”

“Bye Y/N! It was nice meeting you!”

“Y/N! Are you going to be playing with us again?” The curly-haired boy, who’s name you came to know as Dustin ran up to you.

“That’s a pretty big maybe. Depends if I have time. But I loved doing this with you guys and I hope I can see you all again soon,” You smiled at Dustin.

“Oh you will, I’ll make sure of it,” Eddie’s voice rang out, hugging you from behind and swaying you softly.

“C’mon guys, before the janitors kick us out.” Eddie held your hand, leading you out of the room and out the school, with the remaining freshman stragglers following behind. From an outside point of view. It almost looked like two parent ducks, leading their little ducklings.

Eddie walked you back to your car.

“Thanks again for the cupcakes. They were great. What were they supposed to be again?” He joked, his grin meeting his eyes.

“Shut up, Edds,” You laughed, playfully punching his shoulder.

“Are we still on for tonight? My place and a movie? Maybe pizza and a little dancing too?” Eddie grabbed your hands, swinging them side to side and spinning you around. “Will it actually be just dancing?” You asked, giggling.

“Maybe, maybe not,” Eddie winked. You leaned in to your boyfriend and kissed him, lacing your hands in his hair. He pulled you into him closer by the waist, deepening the kiss. Stroking his cheek, you slowly pulled away. Eddie whined at the lack of contact.

“More tonight,” you smiled. Entering your car, closed the door shut and waved at him before driving off. Eddie watched your car drive off and waited for you to be completely out of his line of sight before he started walking towards his own van.

Eddie opened the door and climbed into the driver's seat.

“Y/N’s cool.”

“Jesus!” Eddie yelled, jumping out of his skin. Whipping around, he came face to face with Dustin. Eddie forgot he was supposed to drive him home.

“Don’t scare me like that dude!”

“Sorry. Is Y/N coming to any more Hellfire meetings? She’d be cool to have on the team again.” Dustin said.

“Yeah, she really would be.” Eddie smiled before starting the van. He couldn’t wait to have his arms around you again tonight.

[deepseaorchid]

I love the requests you guys have been sending me! I'm getting through them all. More content coming later today so stay tuned! :)

I'll probably get through everybody's requests by Monday. Part 2 of Homesick coming soon ish? I'm not too sure how much I liked part 1, but there's more coming.

[deepseaorchid]

Homesick - Argyle x Byers!Reader

Summary - After a phone call with Nancy, you find yourself missing Hawkins and your life back in Indiana more and more. As your mood starts to sour, and the weather gets colder your brother's best friend is by your side to cheer you up.

Word Count - 1.9k

Warnings: None, slight hurt/fluff

...

“What do you mean you’re not coming to California!” You nearly yelled into the phone. The blue phone coil you were twirling between your fingers abruptly stopped.

“It's just, I’m so busy with the paper, I don’t think I have time!” Your best friend, Nancy Wheeler responded, sounding equally as exasperated as you.

“But we planned this for so long. I even made the trundle bed for you!” You whined.

“I’m sorry Y/N. I might be able to come for summer, though. Plus, Mike’ll be there. You could hang out with him if you want?” Nancy said. You sighed.

“I suppose, but it isn’t the same without you…” You trailed off. You heard Nancy sigh on the other end of the phone. You made a mental note to apologize to her later for this.

“I have to go now Y/N, but I’ll call you tonight, okay?”

“Sure, see you later.” You tried to make your voice as chirpy as possible, but you don’t think Nancy bought it. Hanging up the phone, you flopped on your bed and screamed into your pillow.

Moving from Hawkins, Indiana to sunny Lenora Hills in California was a difficult adjustment to make. Truthfully, you had anticipated the move to be a bit easier than it actually was. You had been able to make some acquaintances, but not like the ones you left back in Hawkins. You missed dropping in on Steve and Robin at Scoops Ahoy. You remembered fondly how they would go on break early just to chat with you. You missed fooling around with your friends in their cars after school, and the parties that you never liked, but went to anyway because your friends were going. And most importantly, you missed your childhood best friend, Nancy Wheeler.

A knock at your bedroom brings you back to reality.

“Y/N, Argyle’s gonna be here in a few minutes. You nearly ready?” Your brother Jonathan’s voice rang out from behind the door. You felt your heart drop. You had been so caught up in your own world that you hadn’t even checked the time. 

“Shit, one second!” You yelled back at Jonathan, scrambling to make the bed and straighten the pillows. Your brother’s sigh was audible through the closed door. You heard his footsteps get further from the door as he made his way back downstairs while you scrambled to throw on a decent outfit. There wasn’t time for breakfast, you were already going to be late. Your mother, Joyce had made your favourite pancakes that day. You frown, thinking about how you had to miss out on them.

Your timing was impeccable. As you flung your bedroom door open, you heard the sound of Argyle’s beat up yellow pizza van pull up. A long and drawn out beep from the horn followed. 

“Y/N, let’s go! Now!” Your older brother snapped at you. You swore at him under your breath, grumbling to yourself as you made your way downstairs. Seeing you, El nodded to greet you as you hoisted your backpack onto your shoulders. You returned her nod and joined your two brothers outside. Will was already climbing in the van. Argyle spotted you as you left the house, locking the door behind you.

“Hey dude, what’s got you looking so bummed out?” Jonathan’s best friend, Argyle smiled at you. You hadn’t even realized you wore a frown on your face as you left. “Nothing,” you mumbled as you got in the van and climbed into your spot in the back beside Will. You usually struck up banter with Jonathan and Argyle on the way to school, but after that phone call with Nancy, you didn’t want to joke around this morning.

You’d never admit it to Jonathan, but you liked Argyle, and you'd liked him since Jonathan first started hanging out with him. He was sweet and cute. He was good company to have around, and sometimes when Jonathan brought him over to your house, you hung out with the two of them and smoked, or played "golf." Usually, you would do anything to get to spend more time with Jonathan’s pizza-delivering best friend, but today you wanted to be left alone more than anything.

“Sure doesn’t look like nothing to me,” Argyle called back, making eye contact with you in the front mirror. You said nothing and just turned to look out the side window.

“Ignore her,” Jonathan said. Argyle nodded and started the van’s engine. Jonathan and Y/N both remarked on the drive to school that this was the first drive since they arrived in Lenora Hills that Argyle hadn’t blasted his music. The drive to school was silent that day.

...

School was awful. You couldn’t concentrate at all. The phone call with Nancy and the memories of all of your friends kept replaying in your head over and over again. They were probably having tons of fun back in Hawkins without you. The longer you thought about it, the more your mood soured. By the time the final bell rang, you had had enough. There was nothing you wanted more than to plug in your walkman and go home.

To clear your head, you pulled your headphones and walkman out of your backpack and pressed play. It was a mixtape Jonathan had gifted you for your birthday earlier that year. You took a deep breath and began the long walk home. Even though Argyle was always enthusiastic to give you a ride home, you would much prefer the solitude of walking that day.

Unfortunately, the walk home was much longer than anticipated. The sky had transitioned from pale blue, to golden orange, to deep indigo. You could feel yourself beginning to shiver. Nights in the desert were incredibly cold.

You curled your fingers into the sleeves of the sweater you wore, desperate to preserve some warmth. You were still a fair distance away from your house. As your legs burned from all the walking, you closed your eyes. You wished you’d gone home in Argyle’s van. You could have listened to music with him and ranted about your friend not coming to California.

A long, drawn out beep sounded from behind you, and bright lights flooded your vision, snapped you from your thoughts. You squinted, shielding your eyes from the light.

“Oops, sorry dude,” a familiar voice rang out. The lights abruptly shut off. As you blinked your eyes, giving them time to adjust, you made out the outline of Argyle and his van. A wave of relief washed over you instantly and your stomach flipped.

“Need a ride?” He called out to you

“Yes please,” your voice croaked out, barely more than a whisper. Argyle threw the passenger door open for you, and you climbed in beside him. This never happened. Jonathan always sat beside Argyle. You offered him a half-smile that didn’t meet your eyes and a shaky “thanks.”

“Holy shit bro, you’re freezing!” Argyle remarked, brushing your hand. He quickly took off his colourful striped jacket, wrapping it around your frame. You hugged it to your body and sighed, taking in the faint smell of weed and cologne.

“What the hell were you doing walking in the cold! Did you not wanna ride in the van or something?” Argyle asked, watching you closely. You stared straight ahead at the dashboard.

“No, it’s not that. It’s just..” You felt yourself trail off. A period of silence washed over the two of you, neither daring to say a word. After what felt like hours, you took a deep breath.

“I miss Hawkins. I miss everyone. Don’t get me wrong, I like hanging out with you but you’re Jonathan’s friend, not mine.” Argyle stared down at his hands on the steering wheel at those words. You couldn’t make out the expression on his face so you drew a deep breath and continued.

“I miss seeing my friends back in Hawkins. I don’t think I’ve made any real friends in California. Back in Hawkins, I was somebody, but here? I feel like nobody. Oh! And to make matters worse, my best friend told me earlier today that she won’t be coming to California this spring break anymore. I just don't know what to do,” you finished, defeat dripping from your voice and dumping your head in your hands. Argyle took a deep breath. “Wow.”

“Yeah, wow.” And like that, the van is plunged back into silence. 

After a moment, Argyle spoke up again. “Listen dude, I know we don’t know each other very well but, I want to get to know you better.” You lifted your head to look at Argyle, meeting his gaze. His warm dark eyes softened as they looked at you, face illuminated only by the dim streetlight now.

“Tomorrow, you and me, let’s go somewhere together.” He smiled kindly.

“But what about Jonath-” “He isn’t coming. This’ll be just for us bro.” He cut you off, stating matter-of-factly. You didn’t even know how to respond, but there was no stopping the smirk tugging at the corner of your lips, and the rising heat in your skin. Argyle’s colourful shirt suddenly felt too warm.

“C’mon, let’s get you home.” Argyle started the van. Watching the houses roll past and catching Argyle stealing multiple glances at you made your smile grow wider and wider.

“That smile looks good on you dude. I want to see it more”

...

Argyle walked you up the path towards your house. The crickets’ chirping died out as you approached the door.

“What time tomorrow?” You asked, picking at your fingernails, suddenly very nervous.

“Oh uh, I was thinking maybe 1ish?” Argyle asked. You nodded in agreement. “Where’re we going?” You asked, cocking your head to the side. “That’s a surprise,” Argyle chuckled, playfulness laced in his voice. He looked down at his blue shoes as silence engulfed the two of you again. “I should get inside. Mom’s probably worried about me,” You gestured to the door, your mind instantly thinking of your mom’s worried expression.

“Yeah, yeah of course. I’ll uh, see you tomorrow dude.” Argyle waved before turning on his heels and walking back down the pathway. You contemplated your next move for half a second. It was now or never.

“Argyle!” You called out to him. He turned to face you to see you barrelling towards him. Knocking the wind out of him, you wrapped your arms around his torso and squeezed. You could hear his heartbeat speed up as he cautiously wrapped his arms around you. If you could, you would stay like that with him forever. The two of you continued to hold each other, not wanting to break from the other’s embrace yet. Sighing slowly, you pulled away. “Thanks.” You couldn’t stop the smile spreading across your lips. Argyle said nothing, a mixture of confusion and bliss across his face. You turned and walked to the front door and entered, feeling Argyle’s eyes on the back of your head the whole way up until you closed the door.

You slumped against the door, the dim light from the kitchen illuminating your goofy wide-toothed smile.

“What's got you so happy?.” You turned to see Will looking at you from the stairs.

“Nothing,” you giggled. Maybe it wasn’t such a big deal that Nancy wasn’t coming to California.

“Is that Argyle’s shirt?” Your brother Jonathan squinted at you. Busted.

[deepseaorchid]

Stranger Things Requests Now Open!

Hi folks! I'm opening requests now for Stranger Things characters, with a focus on the older characters! Reader will be gn! (gender neutral) unless specified. You can also request specific character pairings too. Fics containing spoilers will be labelled as such. Currently, I'm writing for:

Steve Harrington x reader

Robin Buckley x reader

Nancy Wheeler x reader

Eddie Munson x reader

Argyle x reader

Jonathan Byers x reader

You can also request characters not listed above! I'm going to try and get through as many fics as I can before Vol. 2.